September – What should I be planting now?

With the relaxing summer period drawing to a close and the kids all back at school there’s a lot to be done in the garden. Having enjoyed wonderful summer blooms for the past few months your summer bedding will no doubt be looking past its best. It’s time to complete the pruning of summer shrubs and remember to continue to deadhead roses. As with last month, give more thought to spring bedding.

Winter and spring flowering bulbs such as snowdrops, bluebells, daffodils, tulips, crocuses and anemones should be planted. Biennials and perennials sown earlier can also be transplanted and sweet peas and hardy annuals can be sown in pots. Make sure that the beds are thoroughly dug and fertilised before you plant.

Your lawns should be thoroughly raked with a springbok (wire) rake to remove any thatch. They should also be spiked, fertilised and re-seeded if necessary. If you have any damaged areas you should cut out the offending area and loosen off the soil beneath it. Fill the hole with sieved soil, pressing gently to firm it as you go, and sow 30 to 40 grams of seed per square meter. Then sift a mixture of soil and peat over the seeded area and make sure you protect the area from birds by criss-crossing black cotton between short pegs.

Harvest any fruit and vegetables as and when they become ripe. Prune existing fruit trees and begin to prepare sections for the planting of new trees. New trees, however, may have to be planted slightly later this year due to the reduced rainfall.

Don’t forget about houseplants that you may have had outside during the summer months. Make sure you bring them inside when the evenings get cool to avoid the first frost, which, depending on the weather could be later on this month.

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